CAA: Assamese in city stage protest on Marina

In the first non-political protest against the controversial Citizen Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, in the city, 1,500 Assamese men and women gathered at Marina beach on Sunday to demand revocation of the Act. However, city police, who have barred people from gathering at Marina beach without prior permission after jallikattu protest fiasco, held talks with them and volunteered to transport them to Valluvar Kottam in hired vehicles.

As the protesters did not seek prior permission from police for the protest, police advised them to get due permission to hold the protest another day at Valluvar Kottam.

Babul Ali, one of the organisers, who brought the crowd to Marina by coordinating through WhatsApp messages, said their intention was to discuss ways to express their solidarity with protesters in Assam. “Our initial idea was to meet at Assam Bhavan in Pallikaranai. But it was later changed to Marina beach. But people, mostly students and those working in various fields in the city and suburbs, gathered in large numbers, raising slogans and carrying placards. However, police were kind and offered to move us to Valluvar Kottam. About five hired buses ferried the gathering in three trips to Valluvar Kottam, where we held the protest for about 30 minutes,” he said.

A police officer said that the protesters did not know the procedure to organise protests in the city and were also unaware that protests are not permitted on the Marina. Police moved the crowd keeping the day-night one-day cricket match between West Indies and India at MA Chidambaram stadium at Chepauk.

There are over 7,000 Assamese living in Chennai and its suburbs, said Babul Ali, and added that they are mulling to hold a protest after getting permission from the city police.